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After a retirement of four hours a jury in the Criminal Court found Edward Allan May aged 30, laborer, not guilty of having murdered Mrs. Yoland Joan Shirley Bordin aged 21, of Carlton, but guilty of manslaughter. He was remanded for sentence after having admitted to prior convictions, including a gaol sentence of five years for armed assault with intent to rob. Mrs. Bordin, who was living apart from her Italian husband, was found bleeding to death from a knife wound at Carlton early on this day in 1938. Some distance away was a long-bladed hunting knife.

Two men were charged in the City Court on this day in 1953 with the murder of Ernest Clarkson, 69, of Gordon-avenue, Tecoma. Charged were two Cypriots, Vassos Socratous, 24, of Flemington-road, North Melbourne, and Lenndras Yiannakou, 39, of Rathdown street, Carlton. Both men were remanded to the City Court on the 11th of August. He refused bail. Clarkson, chief steward of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club was found dead on the promises in Cheltenham-road, Black Rock, on this day in 1953. He had been battered about the head. Senior . Detective Graham Davidson told the Court that Clarkson’s body was found on the floor of the golf club’s locker room. Police took possession of a bloodstained hammer. Davidson said the men in the dock were detained and questioned early today. They had made admissions before being charged.. Socratous is a short slim man with dark, curly hair. He was neatly dressed, Yiannakou is taller and is heavily built, with black, woolly hair, and olive complexion.

Following exhaustive inquiries, detectives arrested and charged Frederick Francis Green, 32, timber worker of Lygon Street, Carlton, with the murder of Mrs. Catherine, Whitley, 65, in a lane off Elizabeth Street, city, on July 25. Mrs. Whitley was discovered unconscious in the lane on July 25 and died two days later, from a fractured skull.

The latex mask worn by John Field as Gerry Gee’s stand in now in the collection at Museum Victoria, Carlton. The mask was fashioned to resemble Gerry with a narrow slit to breath though and two eyes holes. “It was not a fun thing to wear, and would get hot and sweaty, hearing was difficult and worst of all I had difficulty seeing much except what was straight in front of me” Fields stated.

Dr. R. H. Cole, the district coroner, yesterday concluded the inquest into the death of Emily Eden Lilias Chandler, a waitress, 28 years of age, who died in the Melbourne Hospital on July 3 from septicaemia, the result of a premature birth, which had taken place about fortnight previously. Mrs. Elizabeth Downey, who was arrested on a charge of the wilful murder of the deceased, was present as a witness for the Crown. Mr. E. J. Corr appeared to watch the proceedings on her behalf.

Evidence was given to show that Miss Chandler came to Melbourne in the beginning of June. She was staying with Mrs. Elizabeth Sefton, in Sydney-road, Carlton, and was so ill on June 29 that Mrs. Sefton called in Mr. J. H. Nattrass, M.D. Mr. Nattrass examined the girl, and she told him that she had been operated on by some nurse, but refused to divulge the name. He ordered her removal to the Melbourne Hospital. She was admitted to the Hospital on July 1, and said that she was suffering from a severe cold. She admitted afterwards that an instrument had been used. The police were informed, and Detectives Burvett and Sexton brought Elizabeth Downey to the Hospital. Miss Chandler said that she knew the woman, and the detectives arrested Mrs Downey on a charge of unlawfully using a certain instrument. Then in the presence of Mrs. Downey the dying depositions of Emily Chandler were taken by Mr. J. R. Andrews, J.P. In the depositions she said :— “I am quite certain that the accused is the person who performed the operation on me.” She rambled a good deal in her statements whilst the depositions were being taken, and spoke of having gone to the nurse’s house with her sister “Millie.” The evidence of Mrs. Chandler showed that there was no such person as “Millie.” She was very irritable, and in great pain all the time. Mrs. Downey was called as a witness. She stated:— I have nothing to say. I don’t know the party at all. I never saw her in my life. That is all I have to say.

The Coroner said that it was plain that an infamous crime had been committed. He did not think it likely that deceased performed the operation herself. The depositions were mainly the result of monosyllabic answers given by deceased, and they consisted of a mixture of falsehood and truth, in which the falsehood seemed to predominate. Deceased merely said “Yes” to Detective Burdett when he asked her, “Is this the woman?” This seemed a very slender piece of evidence. He found that Emily Eden Lilias Chandler had died from blood-poisoning, the result of an operation, wilfully caused by some person or persons unknown, and that the said person or persons were guilty of wilful murder.

Charged with the manslaughter of Mrs Rose Mangan, Ralph Hitchens, 24, of Park street, North Carlton, was remanded at the Carlton Court today until July 3.

A charge of negligent driving was withdrawn, while a further charge of having failed to stop after allegedly knocking down a woman and two men in Rathdowne street on June 23, was adjourned. Mr Smith, P!M., fixed bail at £200, but the police objected to this, as Kitchens’ previous bail had been £1000. Mr Smith then called evidence. Constable Martin said that at 7 p.m. on Saturday, he was called to the corner of Barkly and Rathdowne streets, where he saw a crowd standing round a woman, who appeared to be seriously injured, “It was alleged’ that Hitchens knocked the woman down, and did not ” Mr J. Barnott (for Hitchens): I object to this, your Worship. Continuing, ‘Constable Martin said he went over to two motor cars standing close by and asked the driver of one did he knock the woman down. He replied .Yes, he swerved to avoid another car; then my accelerator jammed and I could not stop,” added the constable. Constable Martin said that the driver of the other car interjected, “You” know you had no intention of stopping it I hadn’t chased you.” Mr Smith, P.M.: Oh. He had to be chased? Bail was then altered to £300.

At the Central Criminal Court on the 18 June 1908 a young woman named Elizabeth Anderson, 19 years of age, was presented on a charge of having wilfully murdered her illegitimate child at Carlton on 16th ult. The evidence showed that the accused was a domestic servant. Her employer found on the roof of the kitchen the body of a child. The accused had complained that she not feel very well and went to her room to lie down. About two hours later the wife of her employer went to her and from what she was told sent for a medical man. The medical evidence was to the effect that the accused had given birth to a child. The defence was that accused did not know what she was doing and that the child was dead when placed on the roof. The jury accepted the plea of insanity and returned a verdict of not guilty on the ground that accused was insane at the time the act was committed. She was ordered to be detailed during the Governor’s pleasure.

Knowing is a 2009 science fiction thriller directed by Alex Proyas and starring Nicolas Cage. The project was originally attached to a number of directors under Columbia Pictures, but it was placed in turnaround and eventually picked up by Escape Artists. Production was financially backed by Summit Entertainment. Knowing was filmed in Docklands Studios Melbourne, Australia, using various locations to represent the film’s Boston-area setting. The film was released on March 20, 2009, in the United States. The DVD and Blu-ray media were released on July 7, 2009. Knowing met with mixed reviews, with praise towards the acting performances, visual style and atmosphere, but had criticism over the implausibilities. In the final scenes as the world is exploding Nicolas Cage returns to his parents house at Medley Hall, 48 Drummond St, Carlton.

Detectives inquiring into the murder of Matthias Handley, 55, an invalid pensioner, at Carlton on April 7, believe that the crime is closely associated with the attempted murder of Hugh Gulliver, 25, business agent, of Elwood, on the same night. An hour and a half later after Handley was shot an attempt was made on Gulliver.

Jason O’Mahoney was charged at the Criminal Court, with manslaughter of his wife, Catherine, at Carlton, on April 7. It was alleged by the Crown that O’ Mahoney had knocked his wife down and had caused the injuries which resulted in her death. O’Mahoney denied that he had kicked his wife. The injury which caused her death was brought about by her having fallen over the bedstead. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and O’Mahoney was discharged.

ON THIS DAY – 22nd December 1939

Morris Ansell aged 19, labourer, of Victoria St., Carlton, was charged in the City Court on the 22nd of December 1939 with having murdered Alfred Thomas Atherton near Ferntree Gully. He was remanded until December 29, for sentencing. Mr. Justice Martin sentenced Ansell to death and told him that the jury’s recommendation would be sent to Executive Council, due to his age. Ansell was calm when the jury announced its verdict after a retirement of two hours and 20 minutes.

Found guilty of the murder of Alfred Thomas Atherton, 35, hotel useful, on the 20th of December, at Ferntree Gully, Morris Ansell, 19, metal polisher, of Victoria Street, Carlton, was sentenced to death by Mr. Justice Martin in the Criminal Court. The Jury added a strong recommendation for mercy because of Ansell’s youth. In the course of evidence at the trial, Mrs. Atherton, wife of the murdered man, said that she had been living apart from her husband. About eight months ago she met Ansell in a house in South Yarra, and two months later went to live at Ferntree Gully, and later at Victoria Street, Carlton. She had hoped to obtain a divorce so that she could marry Ansell. According to police evidence, Ansell confessed that he shot Atherton. An sell had said that he had arranged to go with Atherton to Ferntree Gully, where he Informed Atherton that Mrs. Atherton was working. Before leaving home he had placed his pea rifle under his coat. When walking along the road to Boronia, Atherton had said to him (An sell): ‘I suppose my wife is running about with other men. If I thought that she was in trouble I would kill her.’ Ansell told the police: ‘I said to myself I will kill you first.’ Ansell then said that ‘Atherton turned his head and I shot him.’